The Boy's Love (BL) Thread

This is the official Boy's Love (BL) anime thread for ZIV. For those who don't know, BL is anime that contains romantic relationships between two male characters. The term 'yaoi' is generally used in America to describe any anime/manga that features male/male relationships, but it is technically meant only for manga/anime that depicts graphic sex and the term "Boy's Love" is used for non-graphic manga/anime of this nature. Use this thread to talk about anything and everything related to BL!

Please note that standard forum rules apply in this thread so do not post anything sexually graphic and any users posting homophobic remarks will receive appropriate punishment from an administrator. If you don't like this stuff, don't look at the thread: simple as that.

Now then, let's start a discussion. What are you favorite BL anime/manga and why? I'll post a few of mine:

If you've never seen a BL anime, but are thinking about watching one Gravitation might be for you. The story follows Shuichi, a young up-and-coming musician, who has a chance encounter with famous author Yuki and instantly falls in love, despite Yuki's rather grumpy demeanor. The story splits evenly between Shuichi and Yuki's relationship and Shuichi's budding musical career. The series is perhaps best known for its soundtrack which includes many contributions by Daisuke Asakura.

Junjou Romantica is the fan-service anime for BL fans. The two-season series is chock-full of sappy romantic scenes that will make your heart felt. The story follows three different (and loosely connected) couples: There's famous author Usami and his strange relationship with his best friend's little brother Misaki, then there's associate professor Kamijou and his doctor-in-training love interest Nowaki, and finally professor Miyagi and high school student Shinobu. On some level, I like all three couples, but the Miyagi-Shinobu episodes get me every time.

Loveless is one of my favorites because it goes off in a different direction than most BL anime. If you watch this anime for anything, it should be its beautiful dreary art style and compelling (for a BL anime at least) storyline. The story follows grade-schooler Ritsuka (who has been my avatar for probably three years now) as he tries to find the reasons behind his brother's mysterious murder. He is soon introduced to college student Soubi, who shows him the mystical world his brother lived in and which Ritsuka is destined to also enter. Ironically, I personally despise the main so-called "couple" in this anime. Not only is the age difference between Ritsuka and Soubi more than slightly disturbing, but Soubi only motivation for "loving" Ritsuka is Ritsuka's brother's last wish. The real relationship spotlight of this anime is the compelling story-arc of Yamato and Kouya, the story's lesbian couple.

Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi is the newest BL anime out there and it has just wrapped up its 12 episode season. The style of the anime is extremely similar to that of Junjou Romantica's largely due to the fact that the same person authored both. Like Junjou Romantica, Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi follows three different couples. The "main" couple, Takano and Ritsu, were lovers in High School but had a falling out when Ritsu asked Takano if he really loved him and Takano couple not give a forward answer. Ten years later, Ritsu has been placed into the shoujou manga section of his company and his boss happens to be his ex-lover, who desperately wants Ritsu back. The story also follows two other couples: Ritsu's coworker,Shouta, and a local bookstore worker Yukina, and Chiaki, a shoujou manga author and his editor and childhood friend Hatori. I'm split on whether I like this or Junjou Romantica better. On the one hand, I really like the two "side" couples (Kamijou/Nowaki and Miyagi/Shinobu) but the main couple (Misaki/Usagi) is kind of creepy on some level, but on the other hand, I'm not all that fond of the two "side" couples in Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi (Shouta/Yuki and Chiaki/Hatori) but absolutely LOVE the Ritsu/Takano couple. By the way, the OVA for this series, which goes into Ritsu/Takano's high school relationship in detail, is a must see for any BL fan!

Well, since it's here I might as well leave something for the yaoi Boys Love (Shounen-Ai) fanboys (and girls) among us.

I loved this song before I knew of the series it was from but here's Shining Collection / Iceman (Preformed by Nittle Grasper in the Anime adaptaion of Gravitation)

Gravitation, if I remember correctly, is a Shounen-Ai series that ran in magazine a number of years ago but continues on the internet in a newer version or something like that. I never read it but the dōjinshi "Remix" of it gets pretty hardcore in terms of... well stuff. I think the original was even been published stateside and in the UK. It actually sounds like something I'd put on my to do list if I ever found it to read...

Actually I think I'll just go and see if mangastream/share has it. >_>

Yeah, the Gravitation remixes/megamixes were...interesting to say the least. And yes, the original Gravitation was published in English in America by the now-defunct TokyoPop. I bought the first five or so, but at $10 a pop, I just decided to read the rest online.

I never finished the show, but didn't Descendants of Darkness have heavy BL themes? I remember really liking it; I should probably go back and finish it ^^

er....well the show it self was not Heavy BL....but the main villain raped the younger guy in the main duo and then killed him and wanted the other guy to remove his head to bring his "brother" back to life so he can kill him

A new OVA for Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi has been announced! Called "The Case of Chiaki Yoshino", the OVA will mostly likely follow the relationship of Chiaki/Hatori. I'm excited for a new OVA for the series...but I just want more Ritsu/Takano dammit!

By the way, it's so hard to find any place that exclusively covers BL titles, sucks :/.

Anyways, here's some nice pictures I found. Feel free to post your own, just make sure its SFW!

I'm pretty much a Loveless fangirl as well... And have all eight manga volumes published by Tokyopop. I am pretty sadden that it went "kaboom" and never released Volume 9 and so forth. ;_; (And have the "artbook scans" thanks to my sis before the tower PC was all mine! *Hint*DDR Catharsis banner*hint*)

I still think Gravitation was my most favorite BL anime i've seen. I haven't read the manga, but I hate to go and grind up many manga volumes... (And the dramatic art style changes!) I do love the music for the anime as well. :>

Now in 2011... Very little BL I watched. Major reason is that my romance preference had changed. I guess I grew out of BL and go into straight/yuri stuff... :I I do save BL-type pics in the past... Majoirty D.Gray-Man, which it's very deep on one of my older Photobucket accounts.

(The last thing I found on the very last page!)

And uhh.... Just something as I look though my collection... I SHOULD BE WORKING ON MY SIMFILE!